//Quick answer
- Fixture valve first if the problem is one fixture; main shutoff if water is still flowing.
- Do not step in standing water near outlets, a panel or an appliance.
- Gas smell: leave, then call the gas utility, then call the plumber.
- Once the water is off, photograph or video the damage before cleanup. Insurance adjusters ask for it.
01Definition
Where are the shutoff valves?
Toilet: the small valve on the wall behind it. Sink: the two angle stops under the cabinet. Washer: the hot and cold valves behind the machine. Water heater: the cold supply valve on top of the tank. The main shutoff is usually near the meter at the street or where the line enters the house, at an exterior wall, the garage or a utility area. Turn valves clockwise until they stop. After shutting the main, open one faucet briefly to relieve the pressure and confirm the water is off.
What are the electrical and gas rules?
Water near outlets, a breaker panel or an appliance: do not step in it. If you can reach the panel on dry ground, switch off the circuit to the wet area. Gas smell, especially at a water heater: leave the house, call the gas utility from outside, and only then call the plumber. Nothing on this list is worth a shock or an explosion.
02When it applies
What does each common emergency look like?
Burst pipe or sudden heavy leak: pressure drops, water pools, you hear water behind a wall. Shut the main and call. Toilet that will not stop overflowing: close its valve, lift the tank lid and push the flapper down. Sewer backup: several drains gurgle or fill at once; stop running water and call. Water heater leak: shut the cold valve on top of the tank, stay clear of electrical hazards, and call. Hidden or slab leak: warm floor, unexplained wet spot, running water sound; stop using that plumbing and book leak detection.
What should you tell dispatch when you call?
Where the water is coming from if you know. Whether it is still flowing or you shut it off. Whether there is an electrical risk. Whether it is one fixture or several drains. If you hear water behind a wall or the pressure dropped suddenly, say so; it changes what the technician brings.
03What goes wrong
What makes an emergency worse?
Turning the water back on to see if it got better. Running fixtures during a sewer backup. Pouring chemical drain opener into a backed-up line, which makes the pipe dangerous to work on. Ignoring a slow leak because it is not flooding yet; slab and wall leaks turn into structural damage quietly.
04Proof
- No trip charge, a 1-hour response time, and 24/7 emergency service.
- Marilyn Lowry, Google, September 9, 2026: "Spoke with a very nice lady, told her what was wrong, and in less than an hour, Mr. Jon Hanzich arrived at our door, and in no time at all, all was fixed and working"
- Six plumbers averaging more than 9 years in the trade each, plus a General Manager with 25+ years.
- California CSLB C-36 licence #998069. Licensed, bonded and insured, with workers compensation.
05Action
Water off? Call now
Emergency service around the clock, 1-hour response, no trip charge. Once the water is stopped and everyone is safe, the call is the next step.
//Keep going
Learn
//Terms used in this guide
Where this applies
Done-Rite runs these calls across Orange County from its shop in Anaheim, CA, with no trip charge in any city it serves.
Common questions
Anything that is actively causing water damage, a health hazard or loss of water: a burst pipe, a sewer backup, a leaking water heater, a leak you cannot stop.
Shut the cold supply valve on top of the tank, or the main if you cannot reach it, and turn the gas control to off or switch off the breaker. Stay clear of any water near the unit.
Not tonight, but soon. A leak under a slab or in a wall does its damage out of sight. Stop using the affected plumbing and book leak detection.
